Just another corporate giant - Principal Stantec Employee Review

2.0
26 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Diversity of skills and staff experience, opportunities to network within the company, and potential to work in different locations and disciplines for the motivated and intellectually curious.

Cons

The company leadership answers to the shareholders, full stop. Several big acquisitions (Cardno most recently) have notably shifted the culture toward ever greater reliance on metrics reporting and zero-tolerance emphasis on utilization (the dumbest metric to track because of its ripple effects on other indicators, but the no-brainer first talking point from the management consultants). Risk management is out of control, but not doing what it's supposed to, presumably because of the competing profit motives exerting greater pressure on employees ans managers. It had promise at one point to follow a different path from the other AE mega-firms, but that's been abandoned as the institutional investors have pushed harder for squeezing more revenue out of clients. Its low-margin areas of innovation and distinction are likely not going to be around much longer. As a result, day to day interaction with other employees is increasingly transactional and competitive.

Explore other reviews about Stantec

5.0
22 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will be working with great minds. People have their niches expertise and it’s wonderful to learn from them. Very professional and respectful behavior. Doesn’t feel like other consulting firms where you’re worked like a dog.

Cons

Sometimes it’s hard to build consistent work because people tend to hold on to their projects rather than transferring to junior staff and it’s mainly because the pressure to be billable is high.

2.0
15 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Hybrid Work and access to useful engineering tools

Cons

Projects are inconsistent in organization and structure (some good some bad). High (and strict) utilization requirements of >93% for entry level and mid level engineers results in overtime with overlapping work loads to avoid any downtime between projects. No development or mentorship strategy around work assignments, the main goal is to keep utilization up. Stantec has been very focused on cutting costs by offshoring, limiting conference attendance, reducing volunteer hours, no tuition reimbursement, multiple layers of approvals to attend in-office CPR training, etc. Very corporate environment and top heavy management with over 240+ “Vice Presidents” currently at the company. Difficult to get raises/promotions besides annual raise. Typical raise is ~3-5% with a good review depending on where your current salary is in relation to the pay range for your career level.

2
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